Update on the Warre Hive

Just as flowering maples signal the beginning of the Spring nectar flows, drones signal the beginning of swarming season. This is video from late April or early May, and the season will continue into July.

clean hive top feeder

To clean any syrup feeder, dump out excessively moldy or fermented syrup, well away from the hive to avoid scavengers. Wipe the feeder with vinegar, rinse with water, let dry.

If you're using a hivetop feeder, sometimes there will be mold on the roof or inner cover above it. Be sure to clean that with vinegar, too. You can use white or apple cider vinegar which has a nicer smell.

See Her?

daydream

An update on the TBH: It's been 4 weeks since Marty Hardison came to pick up the hive. It was 14°F that morning, yet those crazy survivor bees, they were hanging out on the landing board watching it snow. I had a piece of screen set aside to keep them in, but I hadn't given it to BB; Marty wasn't supposed to come 'til the next day. Anyway, Marty saw some floating row cover I'd left in the greenhouse and he stuffed some in the entrance. After an uneventful drive, he placed the TBH at his home and pulled the Reemay out. Unknown to him, a small piece tore off inside the hive. The little TBH was packed full of bees, my bestest-ever colony. Before long, their respiration soaked the little piece of Reemay and – freakin' freak storm – froze the entrance shut. In years past, I've used a special top bar for upper ventilation, but I hadn't given it to these bees. Did you feel the great disturbance in the Force?

Marty feels so bad about it. He started down the path of if-onlys, but I told him let's just move forward. Turns out he'd already restocked the hive with a package headed by a Carniolan queen. At first I was flipped out, but then I realized the best way to clean out a deadout, is with bees. The nice straight combs in the TBH are a valuable resource not to be wasted. Besides, Carniolan is the race we'd originally chosen, as they tend to overwinter with smaller clusters, so the new bees are perfect for the little hive. He says they're doing well. He calls them "your bees," when he emails us. So that's the scoop on the TBH. Hang on for an update on the Warré hive… the video is in post-production.

And just because I never publish a post without a picture, here you go.

Daydream Tulips and Muscari

These are my favorite tulips. They start off clear yellow and day-by-day, turn apricot-orange. I've never seen a honeybee inside a tulip but they make a nice companion to the grape hyacinths, which the bees do like.